Paul Otto Neumann was raised on a farm in Thorsby, Alberta, where he developed a strong connection to rural life and community values. If Alberta is to become an independent country, it must begin with a simple truth: credibility cannot be improvised. Nations fail not because they lack slogans or optimism, but because they issue promises that outstrip their discipline. Nowhere is this more evident than in our money, itself.For decades, much of the world has operated on currencies backed largely by so-called confidence. Confidence in central banks, in political restraint, and in the assumption that tomorrow’s leaders will behave as responsibly as today's. That assumption is increasingly fragile. Inflation, ballooning public debt, and repeated financial crises have exposed how thin “trust alone” can be. An independent Republic of Alberta has an opportunity to do better. Not by returning to some rigid, over-romanticized Gold Standard system, but by anchoring its currency to what already gives this province real strength: tangible assets, productive land, and disciplined governance..MAUSER: Armed citizens are an asset.This proposal is straightforward. Alberta would not promise that every dollar could be exchanged for a gold ingot, or a gold coin on demand. That model, while I do agree is appealing in theory, is impractical during the early years of our nationhood, and unnecessary for trust. Instead, Alberta should establish a kind of Sovereign Reserve: a national savings foundation which is funded by the nation’s natural wealth, and protected by strict, transparent rules.This is not radical. It is how responsible households operate. You save consistently. You don’t spend every dollar the moment it arrives. You keep reserves for hard times, avoid reckless borrowing, and ensure that your income supports your obligations. Over time, discipline, not declarations, builds confidence.Under this framework, gold and silver would be held as long-term stores of value. They would not circulate day-to-day, nor would they be used as gimmicks. Their role would be stabilizing: a visible, verifiable reserve that anchors confidence across generations..More importantly, revenues from land, energy, and other productive resources would no longer flow entirely into annual spending. A defined portion would be directed automatically into the Sovereign Reserve Fund, by fixed sets of laws, rules, and regulations. This fund would grow steadily, regardless of political cycles, election pressures, or short-term temptations.The result is a currency backed not only by precious metals but by real assets, real income, and institutional restraint.Day-to-day stewardship of the Sovereign Reserve would be entrusted to a ‘Chief Steward’ of the Alberta Sovereign Reserve Fund, appointed by the Head of State to a fixed, renewable term as an officer of the Alberta Treasury, and serving concurrently as Chair of the Fund’s Board of Directors. The appointment would be subject to legislative confirmation and removal only for cause, ensuring both democratic legitimacy and institutional independence. Bound by constitutional mandate, statutory law, and fiduciary duty, the Chief Steward and Board would be responsible for safeguarding the reserve, enforcing deposit and withdrawal rules, and reporting regularly and transparently to Parliament and the public. This structure balances executive accountability with long-term insulation from political pressure, ensuring the fund is managed in the interests of present and future Albertans alike..OLDCORN: Facts aren’t racist — Alberta Prosperity Project’s warning on immigration and faith rings true.Critics argue that money does not need such backing, that modern economies run just fine on faith and flexibility. Yet, history tells a different story. The currencies that endure are those issued by states that limit themselves. Inflation is not an accident; it is a policy choice. So is fiscal restraint.This model prevents runaway inflation by separating the authority to issue currency from the ability to create value out of nothing. The Treasury would retain full operational control over minting and issuing current-dated currency: notes and coins needed for commerce, wages, taxation, and trade; but it would do so within firm constitutional and fiscal constraints.Under a Sovereign Reserve system, money issuance is no longer driven solely by political convenience or short-term spending needs. Instead, it is disciplined by the existence of a growing pool of real assets and income streams. When new currency is issued, it is issued against an economy that is measurably strengthening, not merely to cover deficits. The reserve acts as a stabilizing counterweight: as resource revenues flow into protected savings, they absorb excess liquidity, reduce pressure to monetize debt, and anchor expectations about long-term value..Crucially, inflation is not caused by printing money per se: it is caused by printing too much money, relative to real output and assets. This model directly addresses that imbalance. Because a defined share of land, energy, and resource revenues is automatically diverted into the sovereign reserve, governments lose the incentive and the legal ability to endlessly expand the money supply in order to fund operating expenses. Reckless issuance would quickly become visible as a divergence between currency growth and reserve growth, triggering public scrutiny, statutory limits, and institutional resistance.At the same time, the Treasury retains flexibility. Currency can still be minted to meet legitimate economic demand: population growth, increased trade, seasonal liquidity needs, or technological shifts in payments. What changes is that money creation becomes responsive, not opportunistic. Issuance supports economic activity rather than replacing it.The reserve also stabilizes inflation expectations, which are just as important as supply itself. When citizens, investors, and trading partners know that excess revenues are being saved, rather than spent, and that reserves cannot be casually raided, they adjust their behavior accordingly. Wage demands are moderated, long-term contracts become more predictable, and borrowing costs remain lower. Inflation is restrained not just mechanically, but psychologically..GIESBRECHT: The ‘Kamloops files’ — Canada’s version of the Epstein files.In effect, this system restores a missing discipline to modern money: limits that are structural, not rhetorical. The Treasury can issue currency, but it cannot do so irresponsibly without violating constitutional rules, undermining reserve integrity, and facing immediate accountability. The result is a monetary system that is flexible enough to function in the modern age, yet constrained enough to protect purchasing power over time.That balance between operational freedom and institutional restraint is precisely what prevents inflation from spiraling, while still allowing an independent Alberta to run a modern, functional economy.Crucially, trust in such a system does not depend on redemption lines at a vault door. People would not need to exchange their dollars for gold to believe in them. Confidence would come from transparency: published reserves, quarterly-audited accounts, clear rules governing deposits and withdrawals, and legal protections preventing the fund from being raided in moments of panic or political desperation..This approach also builds resilience. Commodity prices fluctuate. Economic shocks happen, as we are all too aware. When downturns arrive, a sovereign reserve would provide a buffer, allowing a country to stabilize its currency, maintain essential services, and avoid emergency borrowing on unfavourable terms.Canada’s own experience quietly proves the point. Alberta already contributes disproportionately to national prosperity, yet has limited control over how that wealth is managed, taxed, or redistributed. Independence does not magically create wealth; it restores accountability in its stewardship. It ensures that the benefits and responsibilities of resource stewardship remain aligned.Sound money is not about nostalgia. It is about seriousness. A country that anchors its currency to real assets and disciplined governance signals something important to its citizens and to the world: we intend to be solvent, predictable, and stable..DUR: Alberta celebrates newborns — while letting others die in silence .Independence, if and when it comes, will be judged not by flags, seals, or speeches, but by institutions. A sovereign reserve-backed currency tells investors, trading partners, and ordinary Albertans that this is not an experiment driven by emotion, but a state built on prudence.Alberta already has the wealth. The question is whether it has the will to manage it wisely. Sound money would be the clearest answer of all.The idea of anchoring currency to tangible wealth is neither new nor theoretical. Many of the world’s most stable and respected monetary systems, both past and present, have relied on precious metals, land, resource revenues, or sovereign reserves to discipline money creation and protect long-term confidence..Classical Gold Standard (Nineteenth–Early Twentieth Century)During the late 1800s, major economies such as the United Kingdom, United States (US), and the German Empire operated under the Gold Standard. Currency issuance was constrained by gold reserves, which sharply limited inflation and created decades of price stability and international trust. This era coincided with rapid industrial growth, expanding trade, and long-term investment.Switzerland (Twentieth Century)For much of the modern era, the Swiss franc was legally backed by gold reserves. While Switzerland later relaxed this requirement, its reputation for monetary discipline, large reserves, and political restraint continues to support one of the world’s most trusted currencies. The lesson was not rigidity, but credibility that has been built through fiscal restraint and sobriety.Bretton Woods System (1944–1971)After the Second World War, global currencies were pegged to the US dollar, which itself was convertible to gold. This system underpinned decades of reconstruction and growth. Its eventual collapse followed rising deficits and fiscal indiscipline, thereby reinforcing the central lesson: sound money endures only as long as restraint does. .BARCLAY: Antisemitism is the NDP’s status quo.Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Gulf StatesResource-rich states such as the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar convert their nations’ oil revenues into diversified, sovereign assets. These reserves underpin currency stability, government solvency, and long-term planning, demonstrating how natural wealth can be transformed into enduring national strength.Ultimately, sound money is not a slogan, nor should it be a nostalgia project: it is a signal of seriousness. History shows that the most stable nations are those that bind themselves to discipline, restrain short-term political temptation, and anchor their currencies in real assets and transparent institutions. By establishing a sovereign reserve, fed by Alberta’s land, resources, and long-term savings, an independent Alberta would be doing what durable countries have always done: converting natural wealth into lasting stability. Independence, in this sense, would not be a leap into uncertainty but a return to first principles. A currency backed by real assets, steady income, and responsible governance would tell citizens and the world alike that Alberta intends to be solvent, predictable, and strong, today and for generations to come. Paul Otto Neumann was raised on a farm in Thorsby, Alberta, where he developed a strong connection to rural life and community values. He has been actively engaged in Alberta politics since his high school years, volunteering with the Wildrose Party and later the United Conservative Party. In recent years, he joined the Alberta Prosperity Project, continuing his commitment to civic involvement and public discourse. He resides with his wife in Ponoka, Alberta.
